HIGASHI - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Self Proclaimed Technologist

After Al Gore invented the internet, I got involved too. In the 90's, I returned to school and obtained certificates (on top of my degree) in Web Application Development and Database Architecture. It provided the foundation for what has become a career in technology and innovation. Over the years, I've helped many companies solve challenging problems using technology. I spent over a decade with a big consulting company focused on Insurance and Financial Services. Today, I work for a very large Health Care company. I believe the work I do helps people live healthier lives. My wife and I have worked hard to provide a healthy and happy home for our daughters. I try to spend equal amounts of time both indoors and out. I can be found running trails on the weekend, splitting firewood and each September hunting Elk in Colorado. Given the chance, I'll regale you with stories of rafting in Alaska, hikes and hunting. I enjoy running, reading and classic cars.

Job Titles:

• Restless Student, Questions, No Answers

I have been able to visit several countries for business and for pleasure and know how fortunate I am to live in the United States. I have worked in export management and technology in banking, manufacturing, financial services, temperature and fluid controls and even poultry breeding. I like to say I have context. Since settling into the business and process analyst role in 2002, I have worked almost entirely on technology projects. I have witnessed how technology can be leveraged to greatly improve efficiency, accuracy and insights. I have also cringed during times when a bad process was painted over with technology that could never hope to conceal the blemishes. My relationship with technology, to coin a Facebook term, is complicated. I love the convenience of all the features at the tip of my fingers made possible by my smart phone, but question how many things need to be smart (a $1500 washer to text me when my clothes are ready for the dryer?) I fret over the amount of data that is shared about each one of us, and how policy can't, and doesn't seem to want to, keep pace with technology. When I'm not enabling change or working on my master's degree studies, you can find me hiking, swimming or watching The Great British Baking Show.

Job Titles:

• Husband, Father, Program Leader, Health & Wellness Nerd, Non - Techy Techy Guy

I wouldn't consider myself to be a "techy" guy by any stretch of the imagination but I'm fascinated with the speed of how technology continues to impact our everyday lives. It feels like it was just yesterday when I heard 5 minutes of irritating buzzing and ringing sounds coming from my modem that sounded something like a donkey being electrocuted. Now, while slouching on the couch, I can pull a device out of my pocket buy stocks, read my emails, check the weather, and schedule an Uber all during the commercial break of Deal or No Deal. I've had two aha moments with technology over the last several years. The first happened when I was in college working at a local Radio Shack. I bought one of the first ever Bluetooth headsets released to the market to connect with my flip cellphone. It was a piece of junk, but the fact that I could listen to music or have a conversation with someone without taking my cellphone out of my pocket amazed me. A few years later, I was using Google maps to find a location of a small music store I wanted to visit in an area that I wasn't familiar with. I grabbed the little orange faceless man and plopped it in front of the address on the map. Not only was I able to get aerial images of the store but I also was able to see images of the store as if I was standing in front of it. I found this technology fascinating. Professionally, I've worked in the corporate office in the health insurance industry for fifteen years as an IT Analyst, Program Manager and Though Leader for some of the biggest health insurers in the world. I've led and delivered enterprise level projects overseeing millions of dollars in funding supporting innovations in the Clinical, Pharmacy, Finance, Marketing and Product Development departments respectively. Over my fifteen-year career, I've received hundreds of hours of IT and Project management training in SQL, AGILE, Requirement Writing, Business Case Development, Six Sigma, etc. and I will be finishing my bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration in 2022. Personally, my wife and I have a beautiful little girl named Mariah and live on the southern coast in Connecticut. I'm a fitness enthusiast. I'm a part-time Personal Trainer and Health Coach. I love CrossFit, Smooth Jazz and Basketball.